With You I Am
by Bastet23
Summary: Raphael had always lived his life with the acceptance that love was not in the cards for him; nor did he want it to be. Leonardo and Donatello had shown him all of the reasons why he didn't want a relationship. When a young, firey woman enters his life, everything changes, no matter how hard Raphael tries to deny it.
1. Prologue

_"It's a very dangerous state. You are inclined to recklessness and kind of tune out the rest of your life and everything that's been important to you. It's actually not all that pleasurable. I don't know who the hell wants to get in a situation where you can't bear an hour without somebody's company." -Colin Firth_

Twenty years. Twenty years he has been on this planet and, through time, nothing has brought him greater joy than kicking ass and taking names. That has always been Raphael's motto, after all. None of that mushy stuff like what Leonardo and Donatello fawned over like little school girls. From the time the brothers turned sixteen their worlds shifted. Instead of being _just_ Ninja, they instead caught interest in things of more... _feminine_. Sure, Raphael enjoyed womanly curves every now and then, but love? No way. Love was for those soft humans topside who had normal lives, normal jobs and normal friendships.

Donatello had fallen over April O'Neil from the moment they met and it was torture for the brutish brother to witness. Don't get the idea twisted, though. Raphael _liked_ April. She was funny, smart and could pack a punch when she wanted to. Not too bad on the eyes, either, for that matter. She had waltzed into their lives by happenstance and embraced them for what they were; monsters. What the red-banded turtle loathed was how foolish his brother became when April entered the scene. Nothing was more vomit-inducing than Donnie's goo-goo eyes and extreme measures to impress her. It did, however, make for some hilarious jokes at Donnie's expense. Up until April reciprocated the feelings and they became this super weird couple who snuck kisses in the dark and held hands under the table at dinner. The fun was ruined at that point.

Now Leonardo was with Raphael on this whole "love is not for us. We're Ninja and mutants" for a while. Which was great! Fearless Leader Leonardo would never succumb to such petty fantasies. _It was a distraction_ and Raphael agreed. April was a once in a lifetime possibility, there was no way that a normal girl would ever wind up in their grasp ever again. Enter Karai. The once-daughter of Oroku Saki, _The Shredder_. So, maybe "normal" wasn't quite the word to use. That psychopath was anything **but** normal. Of course she had to seduce poor Leonardo, become "good" or whatever and end up as his faithful and annoying girlfriend. Now she lived below the city in the sewers with them because she's top priority #1 for the Foot. Right. If Donatello and April were irritating, Leonardo and Karai were worse. Far worse. They have zero idea of what "privacy" means and don't care if you're sitting on the couch with them, they'll start suffocating on each other's faces.

Michelangelo? Well, some things are just hopeless. He had pizza and that was good enough for him.

 _Smack! Smack! Smack!_

Raphael punched the bag hanging in the corner of the pit with delight as he pondered over his brothers and their life choices. A smug smirk spread across his face as he realized that _he_ didn't have anything holding him back. He wasn't one mind on the fight and one mind on a woman. He was focused. He was driven. He was—

"Hey! Can't you go punch the wall in your room or something?"

Just the voice alone made his eyes roll. Shoulders relaxed, Raphael tossed his head carelessly to look over his shoulder. Perched on the couch, looking like a regal tigress, was Karai. Her sharp, golden eyes were narrowed to slits as her arm draped around Leonardo's neck. "We're trying to watch a movie here," she sneered, gesturing towards the small TV that Michelangelo managed to find at the dump.

Leonardo stroked Karai's hand idly, turning an apologetic smile towards his brother. "It's date night, Raph, sorry."

Karai giggled slightly, a sound that sounded so foreign coming from her, and snuggled deeper into Leo's side. Raphael brought his lip up in disgust, throwing his hands in exasperation before stalking off towards The Lab. He passed Mikey's room on the way, door closed, but the sounds of loud snoring still managed to escape. Great, that's strike two on things to do. Donatello wasn't the most fun to hang around, but at least he would be company.

As he pushed the lab door open he could hear flirtatious laughter that told him April was apparently here. He didn't even know she had arrived. Or, perhaps, maybe she never left last night. Too late to stop the momentum, the door swung on its hinges, smashing against the adjacent wall.

 **"AH. WHAT THE HELL?!"** Raphael ducked his head into his left arm, shielding his vision. The sight that greeted him was disturbing. Donatello sitting on his office chair with April straddling his lap. _At least they were clothed. At least they were clothed_ , he chanted in his head.

April let out a surprised squeak, scrambling off of Donatello and taking several paces away, pretending to be incredibly interested in an _empty_ beaker. Even while looking at the back of her head, Raphael could tell her face was beet red. Donnie just crossed his hands behind his head, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, Raph. I thought the door was locked, but maybe you should knock next time?"

Without saying a word, Raphael spun on his heel and slammed the door behind him. The sounds of Donnie and April bursting into uncontrollable laughter faded as he walked away, brows furrowed. He passed the pit once again, not even bothering to look at the couch.

"I'm going out," he announced gruffly and was met only with Leonardo raising a hand in acknowledgment. The red-banded turtle leaped over the turnstiles that marked their home and disappeared into the night.


	2. Encounter

The cool, crisp air of the New York City night was exactly what Raphael needed to clear his head. Standing alone on the roof of a tall building, he breathed deep, relishing in momentary silence. Above it all, the sounds of the city were strangely deafened. Occasionally a police siren would sound that pierced the serenity, but otherwise everything was muffled.

He peered over the edge of the building, green eyes twinkling with interest as he watched civilians mull around the sidewalks. One hailed a cab in the typical, New York fashion. One tried to hastily cross the busy street, causing a car to slam on their breaks and a shouting match ensued. Raphael chuckled to himself. Humans were ridiculous. They never had an inkling of the phenomenons that happened all around them. Take himself, for example. A ninja **and** a mutant on top of that. He worked alongside his brothers to keep these people safe and they would never be aware of them. Too busy staring at their cell phones to care.

With a grunt, he settled down crosslegged, surveying the dwindling numbers below him. This was his favorite time of the night. The masses begin heading home or wherever they needed to be and the criminals start showing their faces. Gave the hot-headed turtle something to do, something to bash. So, he waited, one of his trusty Sais twirling in his hand. Let them come.

Roughly thirty minutes later, a bar across the street closed and a woman came strutting out of the doors. Although she was cloaked in a long, tan trench coat, Raphael could just barely make out her clothing underneath where she didn't button. Skimpy outfit, if you asked him. A black crop top, jean "booty shorts" (as Mikey had called them before) and black knee high boots. _She must be a waitress or bartender_ , he thought to himself.

As the woman waited for an opening in traffic, she brought her hands up to tie her long, blond hair into a ponytail. Her unbuttoned trench coat parted and he saw just how low-cut her top was. Heat rose to his cheeks as her head leaned back, somehow incredibly sultry, and he was entranced by how absolutely stunning she looked. She began crossing the street and Raphael was shook from the thought. _Focus, Raph._ Still, he watched her. She was a perfect target for robbers in the area and something compelled him to make sure she got home safely.

He followed her along the rooftops, leaping from one building to another, her soft footsteps beckoning to him like whispers. They were heading towards a particularly crummy part of town and the bright lights and crowds gave way to dimmed areas, shady alleyways and bars on windows. Not too many people wandered the streets here and, those who did, had company and walked with a purpose. This woman, though, didn't seem to be in a hurry.

As she began to pass a dark alley, whistles sounded out. Raphael halted at the same time that she did. He watched, curiously, as she placed her hand on something underneath her trench coat.

"Hey, baby!" A slinky man emerged from the shadows, looking as though he had never seen a shower in his life. His jet black hair was slicked into a braid. He grinned as a buddy of his, a larger guy with a greasy white shirt, joined him.

"Yeah, yeah. What do you want?" The woman sounded bored, although her crystal blue eyes never left the two men.

The first guy slithered, like the snake he was, closer to her. He ran a hand across his hair, his eyes tracing the woman's figure. "You're looking too dolled up to be going home, you looking to party?" Raphael's eyes jumped to the larger guy, who was placing himself between the woman and her exit. His eyes narrowed, he knew where this was going.

The woman placed a hand on her hip and pointed a finger, "a party perhaps, but not with either of you." She turned to leave, but found herself face to face with the second guy. He gave a bellowing laugh as the snake guy wrapped his arms around her from behind. This was Raphael's cue.

Just as the turtle was about to leap down, Mr. Snake let out a scream, jerking away from the woman. He cradled his hand, which Raphael noticed was bleeding.

 _That's strange_.

The woman glanced over her shoulder with a cocky smirk, an arm held lazily out to her side with a small knife in her delicate looking fingers. That must have been what she was reaching for earlier. She winked in that cutesy manner that Raphael had seen April do a few times. "Now, boys, I'd like to go home before we have more trouble."

The injured man looked down at his hand, his eyes crinkled with pain and rage, "you **bitch**!" He nodded once to his buddy, who grabbed her roughly by both wrists. The knife fell from her grasp and she jerked wildly as he pushed her back into the privacy of the alleyway. Mr. Snake stalked towards her, unbuttoning his pants. A string of profanities left his mouth, blood staining his jeans as he struggled.

He never made it close to the woman. Raphael sprung into action, the heel of his Sai cracking into the back of Snake's head. He went down easily, sagging onto himself. The turtle sensed the big fella raising his hands up behind him for the attack, but Raphael was quicker. Dodging out of the way, he swung his right leg up and propelled it into the second guy's jaw. His opponent staggered backwards, took one look at Raphael and turned tail back to the street, leaving his unconscious _friend_ behind. Raphael melted back into the shadows just as the woman was finding her footing, one hand to her temple.

She gingerly opened her eyes and looked around. "Hello?" She called, searching the darkness. One, black boot kicked at the unmoving body of her attacker. Raphael watched as her blue eyes widened, her brain making a delayed reaction at the realization of what could have happened to her. She clutched at her tan coat and looked back into the alleyway. "Thank you," she whispered, then steeled herself, "but i could have handled it on my **own**." There was no answer. She gave one last look around and Raphael's heart stopped as they seemed to make eye contact. Then, with a huff, she quickly exited back to the street, retrieving her knife as she went.

The breath left Raphael in one, loud _whoosh_ and he climbed back to the rooftops. Searching the streets below, but there was no sign of the woman. He hesitated before heading back home, his trek plagued by those blue eyes.

 _Author's Note: I'm a little bummed with how this chapter turned out and it's shorter than I intended, although I'm excited to build on this mysterious woman. ;) the next few chapters will focus on Raphael and his conflictions over her. Who is she? I suppose we'll find out! _


	3. Visions

_The breeze blew gently, dancing through her golden locks with the tenderness of a long lost lover. Gentle and graceful; she moved in time with nature, coming ever closer. Her blue eyes held his gaze, never wavering. He could only stare back, his face flush with the rosy color of infatuation despite the green of his skin. He opened his mouth to speak, wanting to know who she was, what she wanted with him. The words stuck in his throat as the yellow glow around her began to fade into black. Her eyes suddenly laced with fear and her mouth held agape in a silent scream. She reached out to him and he tried to grab her, to save her from whatever was trying to take her. Like a whisper, her body was gone. He was left alone, with nothing but those wide, blue eyes staring helplessly back at him in the darkness_.

Raphael woke with a start, chest heaving and his forehead beaded with sweat. A glance over to his clock told him it was three-thirty in the morning. A quiet groan escaped him as he rubbed his eyes. It had been several nights since he saved that woman from the alleyway and the dreams hadn't stopped. Well, rather the _same_ dream had occurred over and over again, always ending the same way. Normally Raphael would have just gotten up and gone to the dojo early to begin his warm up before practice. Instead, he lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, his annoyance and curiosity growing with each time he saw her in his sleep.

Why was this happening? He didn't know her name, didn't know where she lived, he knew nothing! She was just some _stupid_ woman. Another human that would only see him as a **freak**.

Still, though, something gripped his heart in the way her dream self stared at him. Almost like in that dark alleyway. It felt as though his heart had stopped. He hated it.

 _This is dumb_ , Raphael thought to himself. The sounds of his brothers stirring turned his attention back to the clock. Four-thirty. It was time for practice.

He miserably rolled himself out of bed, his feet thudding against the concrete floor. His infamous red bandana hung carelessly across the back of the chair at his desk. Raphael snatched it and angrily tied it to his head, not bothering to check his reflection before stomping out of his bedroom.

"Yoooo! Raph! What's up, my dude?" Michelangelo's head popped out from the kitchen, a pop tart dangling between his teeth. The youngest of the brothers sported his usual orange bandana, though his wraps and pads hung around his neck.

Raphael snorted as he approached, snatching the pastry from from his younger brother. "Ya' know Sensei hates these things," he mumbled, though he took a bite himself. "They're terrible for ya."

Michelangelo seemed to ponder this for a moment, his lip stuck out in a mock pout. He still held the box and pulled another, noisily unwrapping it from its foil pouch. "Yeaaah," he started, gazing lovingly at the frosted food loaded with enough sugar to give anyone diabetes, "but it's just soooo good, bro!" With that he devoured it in one bite. Raphael lifted a lip in disgust, "fucking gross."

"Mikey! Raph! Let's go!" Raphael turned towards the call, rolling his eyes at none other than Leonardo. The blue banded turtle looked as pristine as ever. Polished twin katanas at his sides, wraps neat and perfect and spotless. Did he...? _Hell_ , he ironed his damned bandana.

Michelangelo skipped from the kitchen, still chewing a mouthful of pop tart, "coming!"

Raphael pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing dramatically. "Yeah, yeah. Keep your panties on."

Practice started as usual, they began with stretches, sharped their flexibility and reflexes. Then came meditation. Raphael found this to be particularly hard. Any time he closed his eyes for long, the woman returned. She still looked afraid and Raphael couldn't figure out why. He felt stupid even wondering about it. The dreams weren't real. She was probably at that bar again, getting killer tips because she was hot. A sudden, almost fleeting thought came to him. He hadn't gotten laid in eons. Sure, he was a mutant, but that didn't necessarily mean he never received any _private_ action. So, yeah, maybe this whole issue was because he just happened to see a pretty girl and he wanted sex. That's it.

Master Splinter inhaled slightly. "Raphael," he spoke, startling the hot heated turtle from his thoughts. He set his wide, green eyes on his father. "Sensei?"

"You are tense, my son," he raised a paw as Raphael began to protest, "you are not focused. This is unacceptable for a Ninja. An unprepared and distracted warrior is a **dead** warrior."

A chuckle escaped from Raphael's teeth. "With all due respect, Sensei, I'd say I'm pretty much covered on being prepared for a battle." He crosses his arms boldly, earning a quiet _oooh_ from Michelangelo.

Master Splinter raised an eyebrow. "Leonardo!" The old rat's eyes never left his son.

The eldest brother straightened at this, "hai."

"If Raphael is always prepared, a sparring match should be no issue for him, would you agree?" Their Sensei stroked the fur along his chin thoughtfully.

Leonardo stood to full height, a small smirk on his face. "Hai, Sensei."

Raphael followed suit, raising to his feet. "This is what I'm talking about!" He smashed one fist into the palm of the other. "Getting a chance to whip Lameardo's ass is what I live for!"

Donatello and Michelangelo headed to the sidelines where the two girls had been watching with great interest. Karai leaned coolly against the wall of the Dojo, legs crossed at the ankles. April had been turned towards the other woman, seemingly to whisper something in her ear. When Donatello approached, the red-haired girl offered a bright smile and intertwined her fingers with his. The four began motioning excitedly, exchanging money. "Placing bets?!" Raphael yelled out to them, "that's cheap."

"It shouldn't be a problem to you, Mr. Prepared," Karai sneered. She held up what looked like a ten dollar bill. "But I know my Leo will stomp your face in." This caused Leonardo to blush slightly and Raphael's blood to boil.

The two brothers met in the center of the room. Leonardo's eyes were calm and collected, which made Raphael even more frustrated. He bowed stiffly at the same time that his brother did.

"Kaishi!" At Master Splinter's command both turtles sprang into motion.

Everything was a blur, Raphael would lunge at Leonardo one moment and have to dodge him the next. The red-banded couldn't keep track of where his brother was or predict his next movements. Within what seemed like only seconds Raphael was slammed onto his shell, Leonardo looming above him, one foot on his chest and a katana inches from his throat.

"Yame!" Came the barked order from Master Splinter. Leonardo immediately obeyed like the good Teacher's Pet he was.

Raphael just laid on the floor, staring at the ceiling. He could hear the giggles and whispers from the onlookers; they were no doubt exchanging their money pool and dividing it amongst the rightful winners of the bet. Gritting his teeth to keep from cursing, Raphael pushed himself up with all of the grace of a duck. He was vaguely aware of Master Splinter approaching him, but his eyes were set on Leonardo. The jerk just stood there all honor-like, something like pity in his gaze. Before Raphael could lunge at him again, their father blocked his sight.

"That was being prepared?" Sensei spoke, his voice a strange mix of humor and concern. His brow furrowed in that manner that told Raphael all he needed to know. "I wish to speak to you in private." Ah. There it was.

Their father turned towards the others, "you may leave." At once, the dojo became silent and Raphael was alone with Master Splinter. There wasn't much in this world that made the turtle nervous. He could face one hundred enemies at once and feel fine. He could have a gun pointed at his face and never flinch. Talking with his father? He felt like he wanted to vomit.

Splinter stood in front of him; never moving, never speaking and his eyes never left his son's form. Raphael fidgeted slightly.

"Do not think I have not noticed your inability to focus for the past few days, my son." He inhaled deeply, "you have been troubled and you are tired when you wake in the mornings. Are you having ill dreams?"

Raphael made a _tch_ sound, his gaze any where but his father. "No, Sensei. I've been sleeping fine." He clenched his fists repeatedly at his sides. The last thing he wanted to do was have the discussion of the woman with his father.

Splinter stroked his chin, studying his son's movements and rigid stance. He was clearly uncomfortable and unwilling. "I see," he murmured. He turned suddenly, making a motion to end the discussion. "If you are not willing to talk about it, Raphael, then I hope you are able to solve your dilemma on your own." He paused and glanced over his shoulder, "dreams are otherworldly forces. We must listen to what they are trying to tell us."

"H-hai..."

The "talk" with his father didn't last long. Master Splinter departed to meditate or drink his tea, whatever the hell he did off by himself. Raphael was ordered to figure out what his dream was _telling_ him; which just sounded stupid. It was a dream, that's all. Besides, how did Splinter even know that he was having recurrent dreams? A shiver ran up Raphael's spine. Their father never failed to freak him the hell out.

"Raph!"

He was broken from his thoughts by Leonardo. Raphael couldn't help but notice the lopsided grin and the weird sparkle in his eye as he approached. Still, the turtle kept heading in the direction he intended. Lameardo would follow if it was important.

"Yeah?" He replied gruffly, nearing the pit. He was still pissed about training.

Leonardo stopped following, nervousness oozing from him. Raphael could hear a foot digging into the concrete flooring. "Well, uh," Leo hesitated, "can we talk in _private_?"

Raphael scoffed, "private? What's this about? You want to lecture me over training too?" The last words came out harsh, his arms snuggly crossed at his chest as he turned to face his brother.

To his surprise, shock widened Leonardo's gaze. "N-no. This has nothing to do with us." Raphael noted that his brother kept glancing around, as if making sure they were alone.

Concern over his brother deflated him; Raphael had never seen Leonardo like this. Whatever he needed to talk about, it was serious. Raphael motioned to his bedroom, "c'mon then." Once inside, Leonardo shut the door firmly and pressed the power button on Raphael's stereo. Instantly the _soothing_ sounds of AC/DC began blasting from the speakers.

"What the fuck, Leo!"

He reached to turn off the music, but his hand was knocked away. Leonardo leaned in close, motioning for Raphael to meet him halfway. "She has impeccable hearing," he whispered sharply into his brother's ear.

Confusion swept over Raphael. "Who?"

Leonardo excitedly pulled a small, black box from a pouch on his utility belt. Raphael's heart pounded in his chest. "What the **fuck** is that?" That better not be what he thought it was.

A wide, toothy smile spread across Leonardo's face as he opened the box. " _Her_ ," his voice was still a whisper and Raphael had to fight to hear him over the music. "I want to _marry her_."

 **A/N** \- wow I got so stuck on this chapter y'all. I apologize in advance that the "fight scene" wasn't long. I wanted it mainly focused on other aspects and...let's be real...I am a terrible writer of action scenes lol.

So, how do you think Raph will react to this announcement? When does Mystery Girl come back? You'll find out next chapter!

I had initially been writing this with zero "story board" going and found that to be a horrible idea. Since I was having trouble with this chapter, I decided to go back and map out and summarize as many chapters as I could. I've currently got this story mapped out to chapter 10 and it's still a WIP. Now that I have a good grasp on where I want this story to go, I can crank out those chapters even faster. :)


	4. You Again?

The words hit him hard, numbing Raphael to the core. He stared blankly at the ring and the blaring stereo seemed to fade out of existence. Those five words didn't even sound like English to the turtle. Marriage? What a foreign and...and _bullshit_ idea.

His stomach was tied into a knot, but he managed to tear his eyes from the sparkling engagement ring and into the equally sparkling, hopeful eyes of Leonardo.

"I'm sorry - what?" He felt like his brain was fried.

The smile on Leonardo's face faltered for a second and he quickly shoved the box back into its secret hiding place. "I want to marry her, Raph." Although it sounded more of a question than a repeated statement. Leo's hands twisted around each other as the awkwardness began to fill the room like an inescapable sludge.

The knot in Raphael's stomach began to unravel and a searing hot anger burst through the seams. "You can't _marry_ her, Leo!" He ignored the frantic motions from his brother telling him to lower his voice. He continued nonetheless.

"You're not even human! You're a freak just like the rest of us. Do you honestly think that you can marry someone?"

Leonardo's face twisted and he leaned back from Raph sharply; as if the words physically slapped him. "Excuse me? Out of everyone I would have thought you'd be happy for me." His voice was low and cool.

Raphael threw his hands up in the air, "happy?" He snorted and his hands came down with a loud smack against his thighs. "Happy? You know, Leo, you've come up with some pretty idiotic ideas before...but this? This is the stupidest thing you've ever said!"

Leonardo opened his mouth to retort, but Raphael kept going relentlessly. "What kind of life do you think you could possibly give her?"

His brother opened his mouth to speak, but he fumbled and opted to jab a finger into Raphael's chest instead. "You're just a jealous fool, Raph. You can't stand the thought of everyone being happy so you try to drag us down with you. Not any more, _brother._ I'm done playing this game of yours. Be alone and hateful for all I care!"

With that, Leonardo marched from the room, the door slamming behind him with finality. Raphael stared at it, a hand idly reaching out to turn off the stereo. He inhaled deeply.

"Fuck it."

The night air was therapeutic in a way. He didn't know where he was going or doing, but he had to get away from the lair. Between the dreams and this bullshit news Leo dropped on him, Raphael just couldn't take it. He leaped from building to building, not caring about a destination as his thoughts consumed him.

Marriage? What the fuck kind of crack had Leo been smoking? Where did he even get a ring like that? There's no way he just waltzed into a jeweler and browsed their catalogs. How did he think this was going to go? They couldn't live anywhere except for the lair. The turtle brothers couldn't have children. Didn't marriage include a wedding? Where did Leo think that was going to happen? Karai may not be the most feminine girl in the world, but she deserved a hell of a lot better than a _sewer wedding._

 _'Besides,'_ Raphael mused, _'marriage means even less of Leonardo that I get now."_

He may not like to admit it, but the fact that two of his brothers were otherwise occupied with their respective partners just made him feel more lonely. What happened to "bros before hoes" - or whatever the saying was?

Raphael slowed to a stop as he began to take notice of his surroundings. He knew this place and he couldn't believe he subconsciously ended up back _here_ of all fucking places. Carefully, he peered over the edge of the building. Sure enough, there was that damned bar where that damned devil woman came out of.

He should leave. He knew he should leave. Hanging around here would do nothing but cause trouble, but the prospect of seeing **her** again was too great.

So, he waited and he didn't have to stand around on that building for long. Right on cue, the blonde woman exited the bar. Raphael recognized the trench coat as being the same one from before. Her golden hair fell loosely around her, framing her face perfectly. Something inside Raphael's chest ached. His heart? Nah, that was dumb. It was probably indigestion.

He followed her again, though he wasn't sure why. They neared the alleyway where she was attacked and, to his surprise, she turned into it. He watched, intrigued, as she slowed to a halt and looked around into the darkness.

"If you're here, I'd like to thank you properly." Her voice was sweet like honey. A nervous chuckle escaped her. "I've been coming here every night trying to talk to you. Either you don't care or I've been talking to myself for days."

Shock resonated through him. She had been waiting for him? What the hell? An inner battle raged in his head. Throughout his whole life he had been taught to never show himself. Humans were not to be trusted. Their fear and inability to accept differences was far too dangerous for the turtles, despite the fact that they literally lived to protect them. However, April and Karai took all four of them into their lives with open arms. Maybe this chick would be the same?

A deep, disappointed sigh came from the woman as she turned to leave and all doubts left Raphael's mind.

"Wait," he called gruffly, dropping into the safety of the shadows.

The lady stopped, her shoulders rigged. "Are...are you the one who helped me?" Her voice was barely a whisper and she didn't turn to face him.

Raphael admired her curves from behind. She did something to him and he kind of hated it. "Yeah." He flinched as she slowly began to turn back towards the alley. She couldn't see him from here, right? It was too dark...right? He began to get the feeling that this wasn't such a good idea.

She faced him fully and he watched her blue eyes scan the unlit alley and finally make out his shape in the shadows. Her brows furrowed and she took a step forward, "are you usually this secretive? It's generally polite to let people _see_ you."

Raphael's entire body tensed, "well, little lady, I'm not exactly the polite type."

The woman took another timid step towards him, "if that were the case then why'd you save me?"

God damnit. Raphael stayed rooted in place. He could see the curiosity in her gaze and guessed she could make out the shape of his body now. His heart pounded in his chest. Why wasn't running?

"You're not human, are you?" The woman asked bluntly, now uncomfortably close. Raphael thought he saw a hint of fear in her, but it dissipated quickly.

"Not...not exactly." He responded, rocking back on his heels.

The woman eyed his silhouette up and down, an unreadable expression on her face. "Can you step out here?" She motioned to where the light of the street still bathed the alley in its soft glow.

"Ahhh. Well," Raphael's voice was tight, "I'd rather not, but," he thought against the next statement for only a moment, "you can come to me." What the fuck was he doing?

The blonde lady stood still for a few moments, clearly deciding on if this was trick, then she moved. The space closed between them quicker than Raphael had anticipated. He wasn't sure what he thought would happen, but he had hoped she would have ran back to wherever she came from.

He was so focused on this whole, strange encounter that he failed to realize that she hadn't stopped moving and suddenly felt her arms wrap around his neck. He moved to defend himself, but froze when he realized what this was. She was... _hugging him?_

 _"Thank you,"_ she breathed.

For a brief moment, time stood still. All Raphael could do was stare ahead of him. Then, as quickly as the hug started, she pulled away. He met her gaze, his eyes narrowed in confusion and suspicion.

She finally got a good look at him as her eyes adjusted to the darkness and he heard her stifle a gasp. "Well," she stated matter-of-factly, "you are...not exactly human."

"Heh...yeah...are you afraid?"

Biting her lower lip, she hesitated, then reached out for a formal handshake. "Nah, it takes a lot more than that to scare me. I'm Rin."

"Raphael," he gripped her hand, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

A/N: wow. It's taken me a year to come back to this project lmao. Oops.

Thank you for the reviews thus far and hope I can still provide an entertaining story for you! I'm a sucker for romance and conflict and it's just starting to ramp up to that. 3


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